Power Shift
by ZealPropht
Summary: Set in the Armada timeline. The Decepticons discover the dangers of warp gate technology.
1. The Old Switch a Roo

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"Power Shift"

By ZealPropht

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Chapter One: The Old Switch-a-Roo

From the personal data tracks of Thrust, Decepticon Strategist:

I shall never forget that day.

It began as most days do, with bickering. Demolisher's clumsiness had placed another hole in the ship, and Megatron was quite beside himself with fury. This wreckage we call a base is on the brink of a complete breakdown, and it ill needs more things to repair. Phrases such as, "You incompetent buffoon," and "You disgrace of a soldier," were tossed about, and justifiably so.

On this particular day, Megatron's "elite" were to be repairing the spacebridge. After another disastrous attempt to recover the Minicons, things had turned from bad to worse when the primary circuits of the warp gate malfunctioned and refused to allow any further passage to or from the planet.

Megatron still blames it on Starscream for lingering behind after retreat had been called.

I blame it on Megatron's temper, and the fist he sent smashing into the control console.

Regardless of the real cause for the malfunction, the spacebridge could not be used until repairs had been made, and it was up to Starscream's dubious talent at repairing computers to solve the problem. This undoubtedly was where the whole situation went awry.

Every Decepticon knows computers to some degree, but the skill of repairing them, or using them for advanced programs, depends on the individual. Starscream may be a powerful warrior, but he lacks the patience to solve anything more than a simple problem. Spacebridge technology isn't simple, and it wasn't long before he was hurling equipment around the room and shouting in frustration. To use his own words, "It's a slagging piece of scrap! I'm a warrior, not a computer technician! This is a complete waste of my time. I'm getting nowhere with this!"

Despite all the complaining, he was making a decent effort at the repairs, so Megatron allowed him his back talk. For the moment, at least.

It was around this time that the alarm went off, signaling the activation of another Minicon somewhere on Earth.

Now, you must understand that all of the above was related to me only after the fact. When I arrived on the scene, certain…_things_ had transpired that make me question warp gate technology in general, and the wisdom of putting important tasks in the hands of someone as ill-equipped to deal with them as Starscream.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I arrived promptly at the sound of the alarm. I had been carefully formulating a plan since the last unsuccessful recovery mission, and was quite sure my new scheme was fail-proof.

"Is the spacebridge functional yet?" Megatron was demanding.

"How should I know?" Starscream shot back. "This isn't as easy as it looks."

"Well, hurry up and fix it. I don't have all day to waste while you play around with it. As we speak, there is a Minicon out there that belongs to _me,_ and I'm not prepared to let the Autobots have it."

Starscream, for his part, held his tongue. I was surprised at the time, but in retrospect, I assume it was because he was either concentrating on the task at hand, or simply couldn't think of a sarcastic retort off the top of his head.

After a few more minutes of listening to the blaring alarm, he rose to his feet and dusted off his hands.

"It's not perfect, but it _should_ allow us to warp to the surface," he said.

Megatron nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. Men, prepare to move out." He stepped onto the platform and the gate began to glow around him. "Starscream, you stay here and keep working on the gate. I don't want to be kept waiting like this again."

If you've never seen Starscream get angry before, here is a little sample of what to expect. If you break it down into its base components, a facial expression is really just a series of motions that are useless unless combined into a whole. His optics narrow, and his lips spread apart to bare his clenched teeth in a snarl. Simple, really, and yet you can look at him once and know his next word will be-

"What!" He charged up to the platform, shoving Cyclonus and Demolisher off the stairs to do so, and just about pulled a wire to make it there in time. "There is no way that I'm staying here!"

Megatron looked about as shocked as I felt at this display of insubordination, and I had to wonder why Starscream's rebellious spirit hadn't yet been crushed. "You dare disobey my orders?"

That was the last thing I heard, because the warp console started to whistle and smoke mere seconds before it exploded. I was thrown to the floor, and smoke obscured my vision. After the ringing in my audio dissipated somewhat, I heard plenty of coughing.

Cyclonus was the first to speak. "What the heck was that!"

I got to my feet and groped my way to the console. "Another malfunction, obviously. Put out the fire and let's see the damage."

"I'm on it," said Demolisher, and he appeared through the smoke at my elbow. Raising an arm, he ejected a foam-like substance that coated the console. "Fire's out." He looked so proud of himself for such a simple task.

"Thank you. And now, be so kind as to get rid of this stuff so I can take an accurate observation of the console."

Sometimes I feel like I'm surrounded by complete morons.

While Demolisher cleaned up, I set Cyclonus to get the ship's internal ventilation system running to get rid of the lingering smoke. I would have said to drop the atmospheric shields that kept the ship climate controlled, but some of the equipment didn't function as well without it.

When the console was clean enough to see the damage, I almost wished that it wasn't.

"That fool, Starscream," I remember muttering to myself. I poked the remains of plastic coated connectors, their colors barely discernable under the soot. "He crossed the purple wire with the red wire. No wonder it exploded." I looked to the spacebridge and remembered something. "Megatron and Starscream were warping when the console exploded."

"I think they're okay," Cyclonus informed me, and he pointed to the ship's main computer. A green, wire frame topography map was being shown on the screen. Two Decepticon symbols were displayed several miles apart. "Their bodies made it to the surface, at least."

"That doesn't tell me anything." I gave an irritated sigh. "Stand aside. If you want something done right, do it yourself."

Something must be explained, here. I hold no love for either Megatron, or that irritating seeker jet. In fact, I would have leapt for joy had I discovered that both of them had been disintegrated. But before I started to arrange the (very short) mourning period for our "dear commander" and "comrade", I wanted to be sure that they were both _very_ inactive. There's nothing quite so humiliating as jumping the gun, as it were, and having the dead return and wonder why you've assumed the throne in their absence. Not that such a thing has happened to me, mind you, but I was not eager to experience it for myself.

A few keystrokes later, the computer zoomed closer on Megatron's position, revealing his current status as "active", and thereby crushing all of my short lived dreams.

"Blast," I muttered under my breath. "He would do something like that to me."

Demolisher, ever the loyal one, was at my side in an instant. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No, everything is fine. As far as I can tell, both Megatron and Starscream are fully functional. I don't know if they are injured, though, so we must contact them right away." I activated the comm unit. "Megatron, this is Thrust. Do you copy?"

There came a brief moment of static, followed by a low groan of discomfort. "M-My head…"

I had a moment of pause, because the voice on the other end of the line didn't sound much like Megatron at all. "This is Thrust," I said again. "Are you alright?"

"No, I don't think so. My body feels strange, and my head is killing me."

I stared at the blip on the screen, then read the output below it. It was definitely Megatron's comm channel, but Starscream was the one answering it.

At that moment, the computer received an incoming distress signal from Starscream's comm and I patched it through.

"What is the meaning of this!" roared one very irate Megatron. "Can someone explain to me why I am nowhere near the Minicon location, and what I happen to be doing inhabiting Starscream's body?"

"_What_ is going on here?" Starscream wailed on the other open channel. I assumed that he'd discovered the same tragic outcome of the warp gate malfunction. "My body! My beautiful wings! What's happened to me?"

Megatron gave a low growl of frustration. "This is all your fault, Starscream! I should have known better than to leave something so important in your hands. When we get back to normal, I will dismantle you for spare parts!"

"This isn't _my_ fault! I told you I wasn't good with computers. That's Sideways' expertise."

Demolisher looked around for a second. "Hey, that's funny. He's not even here right now. I could have sworn I saw him coming when the alert was sounded."

"Never mind that," Megatron interrupted impatiently. "Just hurry up and fix the warp gate. If I have to spend one more second in this body, somebody is going to detonate!"

I sighed, and wondered for the millionth time why I had ever bothered coming to the aid of this hopeless band of tin cans in the first place.

"Let me try to locate Sideways," I said. "He should be able to help. Stand by for a moment."

"This is the worst day of my life," Starscream moaned as I turned away.

"Oh, shut your mouth," Megatron grumbled back.

I took hold of Demolisher's left arm and led him away from the computer. Listening to the two of them complaining was fraying my wires.

"When was the last time you saw Sideways?" I asked.

If you've never watched Demolisher think before, let me assure you that you aren't missing anything. It's rather akin to waiting for a slow program to finish downloading. You can just about see him trying to process the data you just asked him to divulge. How this impairment hasn't gotten him shot on the battlefield is beyond my comprehension.

"Well, I saw him hanging out outside the base for a while this morning. And I'm pretty sure that he came in when the alarm went off. I thought he was right behind me."

"Well, it's a safe bet to say that he wasn't. So, where would he go?"

Again, the painfully slow thinking process.

"He could have taken some of the training sims and gone back outside. He likes to do target practice in his down time."

I sighed in relief. If I'd had to wait one more second to get the info I wanted, I would have undoubtedly had to hurt him. "Thank you, Demolisher. You've been very helpful."

His face lit up like a solar flare and the earnestness in his expression made me want to laugh at him. "You mean it? Just let Megatron know that when he comes back, okay?"

"I will," I lied. Loyalty has its place, but to watch Demolisher simpering over Megatron like an over-eager pet makes me cringe to see it. "Keep watch here, and inform me if there are any new developments. I'll go look for Sideways."

"Understood, sir."

To say that I was dreading carrying out this chore would have been an understatement. The Earth's moon is not so large, all things considered, but it's just large enough to make searching for a bot that doesn't want to be found a real pain. Sideways doesn't like to leave his communicator on, nor does he project his personal data back to the main computer. This gives him a stealth cover that is just as effective as mine at rendering him invisible, but is ten times more annoying. I did not relish the idea of hunting for Sideways whilst Megatron waited for me and grew all the more enraged because of it.

Perhaps good fortune was written for me in the stars, because I didn't have to look very far.

There is a place not too far from our HQ that is perfect for training sims. The terrain is varied, with craters for cover while firing and flat, open areas for hand-to-hand combat. I could see Sideways in the distance, apparently in the act of target practice as Demolisher had suggested.

I activated my cloaking device and transformed into vehicle mode. It would be a lot faster, I reasoned, and my engines would be whisper soft. Besides, I wanted to see what could be so important that it would take Sideways away from the more important mission of finding a Minicon.

I landed with care a few meters away from Sideways' position. I'd chosen a hill where I could get a good view of the proceedings. Low and behold, there was our missing deviant fighting…Decepticons?

__

Interesting, I thought to myself, and adjusted my optics for a closer look.

Sideways was fighting sim droids using holograms of us. As I watched, he took on Starscream, then Cyclonus, and _me_ as well. Watching the droid move, I gave a snort of derision. Surely Sideways wasn't fooled into thinking that a mere training program would in any way compare to fighting the real me? But though it galls me to admit it, whatever data he had input into the sims was uncanny in some of its accuracy.

I have always been intrigued by Sideways. On the surface, he seems unquestioningly loyal to the Decepticons, but he also doesn't hesitate to sow dissent amongst us, as if he has a greater agenda in mind. And while I cannot claim to harbor any friendship for him, there is something to be said for admiring the qualities of others that one finds appealing in themselves. And I have always loved the challenge of a good enigma.

But it wasn't the day for spying, I told myself, and besides that, I needed his help. Just as he finished off my good-looking clone, (a pity, really), I let my presence be known.

"Excellent job, Sideways. Now, you might even have a fighting chance against the real thing," I said, and dropped my invisibility.

He appeared startled by my sudden appearance, but it might have been a good act. "Thrust? What're you doin' out here?"

"What indeed? I could ask you the same thing." I nodded at his waiting sims. "I could have you destroyed on charges of treason for this, you realize?"

He shrugged and terminated the program. The Decepti-clones vanished. "It's one thing to know your enemies, but another to know your 'friends', wouldn't you say?"

I couldn't argue with that, so I dropped the subject. "There was a Minicon alert."

"I know."

"And you couldn't be bothered to make an appearance?"

Thrust snorted and began walking towards me. "Why bother? There's more than enough firepower with Megatron around, and it's not like they'd really capture a Minicon, anyway." I got the impression of a grin behind his facemask. "Not that I'm questioning the effectiveness of your plans, or anything, Thrust."

You have no idea how much I wanted to turn him to a melted puddle of metal, but I'm nothing if not in control of my emotions. Instead, I backhanded him. "That," I said calmly, "is for your insubordination. Slacking off when there's work to be done may have been fine in the past, but that is something I do not tolerate. Do we understand each other?"

Sideways rubbed the fresh dent I'd left in his left cheek, and his eyes burned into mine, but his voice still carried that hint of a smirk. "Perfectly."

I wanted to hit him again, but it's true that you can have too much of a good thing, and I needed his senses intact if he were to fix the spacebridge.

"Good. Now head back to base. We have a situation."

Right before he transformed and sped off, Sideways chuckled. "Don't we always?"

I followed after him in silence. I hate it when he's right.

000000

I "escorted" Sideways back to the base. In vehicle mode, I am quite a bit faster than any mere motorcycle, even one hailing from Cybertron. For his part, Sideways didn't try to give me the slip, and I was grateful for not having to shoot him down and drag him back by force.

Demolisher greeted us as we transformed.

"Good, you found him." He rounded on Sideways. "Just what's the big idea? You don't just go running off like that!"

"Easy, there, big guy. I already got read the riot act," and Sideways glanced in my direction. "Look, it won't happen again. I've learned my lesson, okay?"

Somehow, I doubted the sincerity of his words, but I wasn't in the mood to argue. Let Megatron dish out a more appropriate punishment when he returned. I'm a strategist, not a baby-sitter.

"Go take a look and tell me what you think," I ordered, and pointed to the spacebridge console.

Sideways did as he was told, whistling at the extent of the damage. "What happened here?"

"Starscream happened."

He snorted. "Yeah, it figures. What was he thinking?" After a few more minutes of poking at the exposed wires and burnt circuitry, he shook his head. "I can salvage some of it, but it would be better to just rebuild it from the ground up."

I waved an impatient hand. "And how long will that take?"

"About a week." Seeing me about to protest, an annoyed note crept into his voice. "Hey, that's the best I can do. I don't even know if we have the parts I need for this job, let alone the correct tools."

"But Megatron and Starscream are down there," piped up Demolisher. "We can't just leave them there!"

Sideways chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about them. They can take care of themselves. I mean, I should hope so, the way they always brag about their abilities."

I hadn't wanted to bring up the bigger problem, but it looked like it couldn't be avoided. I tried the most delicate approach to the situation that I could muster. "They switched bodies. If the Autobots attacked now, they'd have to learn an entirely new set of weapons and maneuvers, and I don't want to be the one to have to pick up the pieces."

Sideways looked at me as if I'd just sprouted another head. "They…what?"

"Is there anything else we can do to get them back here?"

I watched the motorcycle-bot think about this for a second. His optics moved from the damaged console to the main computer, then over to the spacebridge. "I can try to reroute some power to the warp gate, but it's not going to be perfect."

"I've been hearing that a lot today," I sighed. "But if it's the best chance we've got, we might as well take it."

He shrugged. "You're the boss. It'll take a few minutes."

"Fine. Then I'll contact Megatron that we have a plan."

While Sideways went to work, and Demolisher hovered over him like a bodyguard, I moved to the comm unit. Cyclonus was apparently having a heated argument with Starscream over whether or not body-switching was something Cyclonus should aspire to.

"This isn't something I _wanted_ to happen!" Starscream was shouting. "You have no idea what I'm going through right now!"

"Aw, c'mon! It can't be that bad. I wonder if I can switch with Megatron next time?"

"You idiot!"

I felt a stress headache coming on. My circuits felt flayed. Was this really happening to me, or was I suffering some Energon induced hallucination? I hoped it was the latter.

"Megatron, come in. This is Thrust."

There was a crackle of static, then, "It's about time! Can you warp us back to base yet?"

"Sideways is working on it. He thinks that he can divert some power from the main computer to the warp gate. It will be ready in a few minutes."

Megatron exhaled in what I took to be a sigh of relief. "Good work, Thrust."

"As always, I am at your disposal, Megatron." A little kissing-up never hurt when our esteemed leader was in a bad mood.

"Got it," Sideways called. "Ready whenever you are."

"Megatron, we're ready to open the spacebridge. Please transmit your coordinates." I watched as the computer started to scroll with numbers. While that was being done, I turned to Cyclonus.

"You don't think he'd let me be in his body? Not even once?" he was saying.

Starscream growled on the other end of the line. "You're driving me insane! Just shut up!"

"But-"

"**Shut up**!" There was a note of desperation in Starscream's voice.

I pushed Cyclonus out of the way and spoke. "And how are you feeling, Starscream?"

"Thrust? How do you think? Get me out of here!"

"We're ready to warp you. Transmit your coordinates, please." When I was certain that the numbers were safely sent to the computer, I turned to Sideways. "If you would do the honors?"

"Let's just hope this works," he muttered and flipped the switch.

The spacebridge hummed to life, but every so often there would be a random spark from the damaged console that wasn't very promising. Slowly, two forms started coalescing in the glow. I found myself wondering what would happen if another explosion occurred. Just one more malfunction in the middle of warping in would most likely spell disaster, and I'd be the one in charge. It would be so easy, I reasoned, to shoot the console. After that, most of my stress would be obliterated in a scream or two and a flash of light.

The thought was so tempting that I half raised my arm to enact this evil and devious plan.

But the moment for action had passed, and I found myself staring into blazing optics. My hand moved to my chest and I turned my act of treachery into one of subservience. "Welcome back, Megatron. I'm glad that you are well…so to speak."

Starscream glared at me and spoke with the rumbling elegance of Megatron's voice. "I would hardly consider myself 'well'. This farce, this _cosmic joke_, is an annoyance that I will not tolerate!" Even if his current body was less than imposing compared to his previous form, Megatron still held command. He turned to Sideways, who was quietly snickering. "You find this funny, soldier?"

"Not at all, Starscream. Sir." He tacked on the ending, I assume, to prevent seeming completely insufferable. Too bad our leader is not known for his sense of humor.

"I am _not_ Starscream," he growled, and clenched a fist. "Despite appearances, I am still Megatron, and you will treat me with no less respect because of this unfortunate occurrence. I still have the power to crush an insignificant worm like you, so do not try my patience, Sideways."

"Yeah, okay. I gotcha." He didn't seem repentant in the least, but he kept his smart mouth shut after that.

Starscream, the real Starscream that is, was having his own share of difficulties. He groaned with each step he took, and those pitiful whines coming from Megatron's mighty frame were oddly disturbing. "I can't stand this! How can you even _move_ in this body? I've never felt so heavy before."

"What was that?" Megatron whirled around to confront the seeker in his body and almost fell over. I moved forward and caught him as he stumbled. "Let go of me, you fool!" he shouted, showing a great deal of gratitude for having saved his dignity from having to pick itself up off the floor. He gave me a good shove for extra measure. "Blast this paper-light form of yours, Starscream. How can your gyroscopics compensate for this?"

"My form is the pinnacle of aerial perfection!" he snarled back. "Unlike this plodding, land-bound mess of yours."

I saw Megatron's borrowed orange optics flare with rage, and interjected before shots were fired. "Well, this certainly is the predicament, isn't it? Why don't we all sit down and talk this through like rational Decepticons, hmm?"

It took a little more prodding to get everyone to calm down, but eventually they managed to settle into something of a normal formation. Megatron took his customary seat on his throne, and I stood at his right hand while the rest of the Decepticons lined up in front of us.

"I always wanted to see myself on that throne," Starscream grumbled. "But not like this."

Megatron drummed his fingers restlessly on the armrests and fixed Sideways with a piercing look. "You can fix the spacebridge?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"Can you reverse this?" Megatron waved at his red and white body.

Sideways didn't look very self-assured. "Um…maybe?"

"Is that all you can say? Can't you do anything at all?" Starscream demanded, turning his huge body to stare down at the smaller mech. "I can't be seen like this!"

"Quiet!" Megatron ordered. "Starscream, you're in no position to talk. This is _your_ fault, if I recall correctly. By all rights, I should have you dismantled." As Starscream twisted Megatron's face into a sulky look, the real Megatron turned his attention back to Sideways. "Maybe?"

"Well, sir, it's complicated. I don't know if I can reverse what Starscream did, if only because I have no idea how he caused this to happen to begin with. I know why the console exploded, but that alone shouldn't have caused this…bizarre affliction of crossed personalities. Fixing the spacebridge will be difficult enough, but fixing you two…" He trailed off. When everyone looked at him, willing him to continue, he sighed. "Look, it might just be that you two are stuck this way forever. You'd better get used to your new surroundings."

Starscream took hold of Sideways' shoulders and shook him like an Earthling child's rag doll. "No! You're lying! There has to be a way to reverse this. There just has to be!"

"Let him go." Megatron's voice held a weary note in it, and it was reflected on his borrowed face. "He's right. We have no idea how long this will last. In the meantime, we will do our best to carry on as normal. This includes searching for the Minicons."

"I will do my best to formulate a plan that will take into account your unique predicament," I said. "In the meantime, Sideways has a point. Both you and Starscream will have to learn how to function in different bodies, so I will also come up with a training schedule for the two of you."

Megatron didn't appreciate this attempt to help. "Are you saying that I, Megatron, can't handle this measly grunt's body? Don't make me laugh!"

Greatly daring, I moved to contradict him. "I see. And do you think you can fly in this grunt's vehicle form?" I answered for him. "I think not. Now please, just listen to me for a change. You brought me here to be a tactician and an advisor, did you not? Then let me advise you; don't view this training as a measure of your worth, but as an exercise in exploration. I cannot think of a single Decepticon who has had the chance to see things through the eyes of another in this way. I'm quite sure that you will prove to be superior in this as you are in everything you do, mighty Megatron."

I bit my tongue, hoping that he didn't take the "mighty" bit as an insinuation to his current state of being, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Since it seems as though there is no other recourse, I shall have to agree with you, Thrust." Our leader sounded as if he truly despised having to agree with me, and I wondered if he hates it when other people are right as much as I do. "In the meantime, everyone clear out of here. I want to be alone to think." He leaned his head into his right hand and proceeded to stare at the floor, ignoring us.

Most of us knew a dismissal when we heard one, so we started filing out of the room.

"I need a stiff draught of Energon," Starscream muttered.

"Mind if I join ya, fearless leader?" Sideways asked, sidling up to the former seeker-bot.

"Not if you're going to be annoying. I can step on you now, you know."

Sideways chuckled darkly. "I'll be on my best behavior, I promise." His laugh and Starscream's groan echoed down the corridor as they left.

As I was about to follow, I noticed Cyclonus and Demolisher lagging behind. Curiosity overtook me, and I lower myself to eavesdropping.

"Megatron, sir…"

He looked up at Demolisher with that scowl that is so much a part of him that even a different body couldn't erase it.

Demolisher gulped. "Well, sir, I was just wondering what I'm supposed to do. Do I follow you…or your body?"

"You follow me, you great buffoon!"

"Yes sir, I know. But _which_ you?"

Demolisher seemed genuinely distressed by this turn of events, and I was almost moved to pity for him. Almost.

Megatron gripped the armrests so hard that I could hear his joints straining from my hiding place. "It doesn't matter what body I'm in. _I_ am still _me_! Do you understand that, Demolisher? Just because that screaming failure of a soldier usurped my body does not mean he has the right to control my army!"

Demolisher backed away from that force of rage. "I…I understand."

"Good. Now get out."

"Uh…yeah. C'mon Cyclonus. Let's go."

Cyclonus still lingered, a thoughtful look on his orange face. "Can I switch with you next time instead of Starscream?" He giggled in that maddening way of his. "It looks like so much fun!"

This was beyond the limit Megatron's patience would endure. He reached for his missile launcher, remembered it wasn't there, and slammed a fist down onto his throne. "GET. OUT. THIS. MINUTE."

As I decided that the fireworks were over and turned to continue on my way to join the inferiors for a drink, I heard Cyclonus say, "You guys never let me have any fun!"


	2. One Exceedingly Bad Day

((Author's Note: Thank you to all the people who have reviewed. I'm not worthy! grovels It's hard to write for such an established series, let alone fit in amongst such distinguished authors. My only hope is that I can continue to provide entertainment for everyone, and not bring shame to myself or the material I'm stealing, er, "borrowing" from.))

**"Power Shift"**

By ZealPropht

**Chapter Two: One Exceedingly Bad Day**

To say that the next few days were a trial would be to state the obvious. Things have never been exactly calm around our HQ, but this strange shifting of minds had disturbed the tenuous balance that held things together. I suppose that a power struggle was inevitable.

But more on that later.

As I had promised, I spent most of my time thinking up strategies that would make allowances for both Starscream's and Megatron's disabilities. Unfortunately, this left me with precious few options to fall back upon. Of the current Decepticon army stationed at the moon base, my leader and his unofficial second-in-command are the only reliable ones. Starscream is a capable warrior when given the proper leeway to act, and I can even make use of Megatron's violent temper to some degree. With a proper plan, I can predict their actions and their probability for success.

The others are a different matter, entirely.

Nothing need be said in the way of Cyclonus; he's a loose cog if ever I've seen one. He's trigger-happy, crazed, and has a complete disregard for following orders when he gets overly excited. I don't understand why Megatron keeps him around. Such an unstable bot should be disposed of for the benefit of the universe. Still, I suppose he has his use as cannon fodder, provided his bloodthirsty antics can be aimed in the proper direction.

Demolisher, while loyal, hesitates too frequently. He's been known to abandon everything for the sake of a team member. While I appreciate his devotion to his allies, the fact remains that he is a soldier, and the mission takes priority over everything and everyone. Alas, I doubt that I could convince him to forsake the others in favor of carrying out his duty.

Sideways… He _cannot _be trusted, of that I'm sure. His main motivation seems to be self-preservation. I have heard reports of him going missing in battle, only to reappear later with a glib lie about his whereabouts. He is unreliable, and seems to follow orders only when he feels like it. For the most part, the work he does do is impeccable, which is why I am hard pressed to find too much fault with him. As I have mentioned before, he is an intriguing puzzle that I wish to keep an eye on.

But despite the few saving graces this dysfunctional unit possesses, they remain, for the most part, a worthless bunch of idiots. It is for this reason that I was dreading putting them in an important position while Megatron and Starscream adapted to each other's bodies.

No matter how sick of a joke Fate was playing on them, I had to send a little prayer of thanks that the Minicon alarm had remained silent since the unfortunate events a few days prior. Thinking on my feet is possible, if not a necessity for military personnel such as myself, but I prefer to iron out any kinks before setting a plan into motion. This takes time, and the interruption of a Minicon hunt would have been most unwelcome.

I also had a training schedule to formulate. This, I learned later, would be a source of great frustration for me. If you asked me to repeat the task now, I would laugh in your face and destroy you on mere principle. _Nothing_ will ever persuade me to do that again. I have enough stress in my life from dealing with a base full of incompetents, let alone trying to teach a tyrant how to fly and a malcontent to have patience.

To give you an idea of the type of obstacle I was attempting to surmount, let me tell you of the first disastrous training day.

I assembled my unwilling pupils outside the base in the early hours of the morning. The Earth's sun would just be rising over the eastern horizon, and the Autobot's human pets would be devouring the fibrous substance they've dubbed "Wheaties" before heading off to school. The golden glow slowly spread over our vantage point.

"Ah," I breathed. "Look how the sun shines upon us. The signs are in our favor."

If I had hoped to impress my waiting audience, I was sadly mistaken. Both Starscream and Megatron yawned and looked uninterested.

I placed my hands behind my back. "Well then," I said in a brusque tone. "Shall we begin?"

I activated a series of training sims, choosing blank-faced droids rather than Autobot facsimiles. The time would come soon enough when fighting in these forms would be a matter of life and death for the two of them. For the moment, I wanted to stress the idea of practice rather than actual combat.

"I assume that you two have been testing your limitations these past few days," I continued. "Show me what you've learned. Depending on how well you handle yourselves, I may bump up the level of your training."

Megatron scanned the droids with a cold stare. "This is insulting. These low-level sims won't even be a warm-up."

Starscream grunted in agreement, but was otherwise silent.

I gave a low chuckle. "Prove it to me, then," I ordered, and waved a hand for them to proceed. "Decide which one of you will begin first."

"I'll show you how it's done." Starscream, ever brimming with confidence, stepped towards the sims. "Bring it on!"

"Commencing training!" I shouted, and the sims darted into motion.

Giving a wild cry, Starscream charged into the fray, giant fists swinging. He punched the first sim to get too close to him, but the others moved out of the way. He gave a growl of anger and extended those strange antenna-like antlers that are so much a part of Megatron's unique appearance. He wasn't able to grab any of the droids with those pincers, but this didn't stop him from lowering his head and using them like a bull uses its horns.

Megatron covered his eyes with one hand and groaned. "This is humiliating. Starscream, you pathetic moron! You're making me look terrible out there!"

"Your body is completely worthless in melee combat!" he snarled back, and tried to punch another droid.

Megatron spoke with condescending sweetness. "That's what the _gun_ is for, you idiot."

"Huh?" Starscream's right hand fell instinctually to the gigantic gun at his hip. I knew his mind was racing. We've all bourn witness to Megatron as he wielded it, but I could sense doubt in every line of his borrowed form. It was unnerving to see Megatron's face assume a look of indecision.

"My, my. What will you do?" I asked of no one in particular. I doubt that Starscream could have heard me, at any rate. "This won't do. Hesitation leads to death." I activated the droids' weapon functions to help make up his mind for him.

He had a moment to utter a startled gasp as he came under fire.

Something you should know about our training sims: they are equipped with mild stun guns that emit a harmless shock to the parts they hit. What you might not be aware of, is that harmless or not, those shocks _hurt_. There is no permanent damage done to a Decepticon's system, but the memory of pain is enough to make them willing to do anything to avoid feeling it again. In this way, we condition our soldiers to accept pain as a part of battle, and force them to fight through it. Sentimental Autobots regard such training as cruel and unnecessary, which is why a single shot is sometimes enough to drop them on the battlefield. No Decepticon worth his fuel would fall so easily.

Starscream found himself faced with many such painful lasers headed in his direction and threw himself to the ground to avoid them.

"Get up!" Megatron raged. "Don't embarrass the both of us with such a shameful display of cowardice!"

It was quite humorous to see Starscream's body ordering Megatron's body around. I couldn't restrain myself from laughing.

Megatron turned his blazing optics in my direction. "This is hardly the time to find this amusing," he berated me.

"Feel free to jump in at any time," I offered in response.

He looked from me to his body rolling back and forth on the rocky surface of the moon, coating his green and purple paint in a film of white dust. With an inarticulate growl of rage, he reached to his left wing and ejected it into his hand, forming Starscream's signature sword.

He charged in with as much gusto as Starscream had, and I had to wonder if Starscream's first assumption hadn't been far from the mark. Charging seemed to be a decidedly Megatron move.

One thing has to be noted, here. Megatron is no slouch when it comes to combat, despite Starscream's inaccurate estimation of his fighting prowess. He does quite well when he is able to grapple with an opponent, and using the StarSaber has given him plenty of practice with swordplay. But saying all that, you have to remember that this took place before he switched bodies, when he had a large amount of sheer brute strength to fall back upon. Now, he was in Starscream's slender, streamlined form. The seeker was built for speed and maneuverability, not heavy-hitting combat, and this is where Megatron made his first mistake.

His charge had "surprised" the droids; I hadn't programmed them to react to such variables, since I hadn't thought that either of my unwilling pupils would be resorting to their old tricks. I knew this would cause some lag in the system, but the training sim froze altogether, leaving the droids completely motionless.

"Wait," I called. "I think there is a program error." Megatron finished his charge anyway, slicing through a couple of the droids and deactivating them. "Stand down, I said!"

He ground to a halt and gave me a dirty look. "Excuse me?"

Megatron has many virtues as a leader, but patience is not amongst them. Fast results are all that matter to him, and he dislikes anyone hindering that goal. Had things not been as they were, his tone of voice would have sent me scrambling with an apology until his temper cooled. But for the moment, I felt confident in my superiority over Starscream's body so I didn't even flinch.

I opened a panel in my arm and scanned the output. There was some unusual slowdown in the system that wasn't being caused by processing data.

"What's that?" Starscream asked.

I looked to where he was pointing. One of the droids was twitching, the hologram fading in and out like a badly recorded transmission.

"What's taking so long?" Megatron demanded, stomping his way back to my location. He obviously hadn't mastered his new weight yet, and was trying to maintain balance with his wings.

I frowned behind my faceplate. "I'm not sure. I'm running a scan, but it says that there's nothing wrong with the program." I watched the text and numbers scroll by at a near crawl. "The system itself is experiencing some sort of lag. Most likely, that is what caused the training simulation to freeze."

"Maybe someone's using the computers right now," Starscream suggested.

I thought about this and then nodded. "That is a possibility. Sideways said he would run some diagnostics for the warp gate." I shut down the screen in my arm. "Let me reboot the training program and we shall continue."

Megatron made an irritated noise. "And how long will that take?"

"Only a minute or two," I replied mildly. "You might want to rethink your method of attack in the meantime."

"There is nothing wrong with the way I fight!"

"Of course not, mighty Megatron," I soothed instantly, more out of habit than as a conscious effort on my part. "But remember, for all intents and purposes, _you_ are not yourself. You're Starscream."

"Why, I hadn't realized that, Thrust. Thank you so much for stating the obvious."

There is no point in trying to reason with Megatron when he doesn't want to be reasoned with, so I sighed away his sarcasm and reinitiated the program. The waiting droids assumed their holograms again, though the last one to manifest was still glitched.

"I'm not sure how long the program will hold," I said to them. "It may well be that the sim will crash again. Let us make use of what time we have, shall we?"

I waited until both of them nodded their assent before sending the droids into action again. They darted to and fro around the Decepticon warriors, peppering them with laser blasts.

"This would be a lot easier if I had the Star Saber," I heard Starscream mutter as he took cover behind some moon rocks.

"Use what you have," I urged him. "If you start thinking more like a tank and less like a jet, you might actually get somewhere."

Comprehension dawned on his face, which was quite comical considering who's face it really was, but he took my advice. Literally.

"Star- er, Megatron, transform!"

In seconds, he had shifted into vehicle mode. He swung his cannon around to face the oncoming droids and unleashed a blast that destroyed anything and everything that got in its way.

"That…wasn't quite what I had in mind," I confessed. "But it's a start."

Megatron sliced through one simulation before spinning about and using the momentum to cut down the next one that danced too close to his blade. "That's how it's done." He turned to Starscream, who was just shifting back to robot mode. "You really are a-"

"Don't get complacent," I called, cutting off whatever Megatron had been about to say. "Here they come!"

Starscream cried out, "Try some of this!" and grabbed hold of the missile launcher at his hip. He took aim, which really means to just point it in the general direction of the enemy and hope for the best, and fired. The resulting blast destroyed several more of the sims completely, but also sent him flying backwards. His momentum was stopped by a boulder-sized moon rock which shattered upon impact. He lay in the debris, stunned.

Megatron fared little better. His sword could only deflect so many of the incoming shots as the droids closed in around him in a tight circle. Before long, blasts were making it past his guard and striking him in the torso and shoulders, in his back and legs. He shouted at the pain I knew must be ripping along his circuits, but that only seemed to make him go berserk.

Giving an inarticulate cry of rage, he charged the sims again. His sword met with empty air, and each miss was rewarded with more laser fire.

Starscream laboriously got to his feet. "Don't be a fool!" he shouted at Megatron. His scratchy voice was made rougher by his annoyance. "Transform and take them out from above!"

"I don't need help from the likes of you!" Megatron finally managed to cut down another sim. It exploded in a display of pyrotechnics as the program for it shut down in defeat. "As you can see, I have this under contr-" His words turned into another shout of pain as the remaining sims caught him in three-way crossfire. Unable to withstand the assault, he was forced to his knees.

"Such a disappointment," I said with a shake of my head. I had hoped that he would have done better, but I should have known that his overweening pride would get in the way. "I'm canceling the program."

"No!"

I paused as two voices rose in defiance.

"I won't be beaten so easily!" Starscream straightened Megatron's frame to its full imposing height. "Keep it coming."

"This…isn't over!" Megatron grated out, his words almost lost under the sound of the blasts striking his borrowed body. Without warning, he transformed into vehicle mode and lit out of there like a shooting star. He executed an interesting aerial somersault and dove down towards the sims, unleashing a barrage of ammo at them.

"Not that way!" Starscream hollered. "Pull up!"

"Be quiet! I know what I'm doing!"

The end result was somewhat less than spectacular. Two of the sims fell before the onslaught, which ought to count for something, at least. But this was Megatron flying, and not Starscream. He had no concept of how to control the body he was in.

Realizing at the last minute that he was about to send his nose right into the ground, Megatron pulled up sharply. This worked at first; his downward momentum was starting to ease and his flight pattern was beginning to level out. But his speed was too fast, his trajectory too uncertain. I saw something in his wings give out, the metal popping out of place as they threatened to tear off his body. I heard a scream of anguish, and wasn't sure later if it had come from Megatron, Starscream, or both.

Completely out of control, Megatron landed gracelessly belly down on the moon's surface, skidding and scraping the whole way until he tumbled to a halt on his back. He didn't move.

Starscream hurried over, though I doubt his concern had much to do with our leader, and more to do with his mangled body. I moved a little slower than he did, and together we stooped to examine the damage.

There were giant rends in the seeker's body, with sparking wires and plenty of leaking mech fuel. Dents and scrapes marred the red and white paint. One wing was barely attached, and the other bent at an odd angle. Even if Megatron were online, which blessedly he wasn't, he wouldn't be able to transform in this state.

"The stupid fool," Starscream hissed to himself.

"We need to get him stabilized. Pick him up and let's get back to base." I watched to assure myself that Starscream was being suitably gentle in his handling of our inactive leader, then activated my comm. "Thrust to base. Come in, please."

"Demolisher, here. What's up?"

"We've had a little training accident," I said tersely. "Set up the repair bay, if you would?"

"An accident? Who was it? What happened?"

"Stop blathering and do as you're told!"

"Oh. Um…right."

The comm went dead and I sighed. "Come on. Let's go." I took hold of the other side of Starscream's former body and helped heft our inert leader off the ground, which isn't an easy thing to do to a jet.

Starscream adjusted his grip to support our load better, and we began heading back to the base. He said nothing to me on the way, and I was grateful for the silence. Things had not gone the way I had expected them to, ending in tragic results. I needed some time to think about what my next move would be, and any interruptions would have caused me to snap.

I had reached a breaking point. The way Starscream and Megatron had handled themselves was disheartening, to say the least, but to have suffered actual damage in training was inexcusable. I blame myself for it, a little, because I hadn't realized how alien their new bodies would be for them. I also hadn't counted on Megatron's bravado getting the better of him. These were things I thought I had taken into account from the start. I am not accustomed to failure, and this training exercise could be counted as nothing else.

Next time, I thought to myself. _Next time I won't overestimate their abilities. They will begin with the basics as if they were raw recruits, and I will brook no refusals on their part. I will not allow a repeat of today's outcome._

I thought to myself. 

I felt suddenly as if I were being watched. I'm ashamed to say that I dropped Megatron like a sack of screws and spun about. The last training sim froze in the act of sneaking up on me, weapon raised to fire, still flickering in and out of focus. Needless to say, I evaporated it in a single shot. Once the hologram had been disposed of, the program shut down on its own.

Starscream looked at me wordlessly from out of Megatron's face. I ignored him, lifted up our burden, and continued walking. He had no choice but to trudge along beside me.

I had the nagging feeling that something was amiss, there. I couldn't recall having programmed the sims to attack anyone other than my two pupils. In the end, I shrugged it off as a glitch and forgot about it.

000000

Demolisher met us at the entrance to the base. I was about to ask him if everything were ready for us, but never got the chance as he lunged forward towards our fallen leader.

"Megatron!"

Demolisher's anguished wail set my teeth on edge. He dropped down beside the torn up jet and laid his hands gingerly against one of the rends. Megatron gave a faint shudder in my hands, the only indication that he wasn't just so much scrap.

"M-Megatron…" Demolisher's chin fell towards his chest as he lowered his head in despair. He seemed ready to believe that our leader's spark was already on its way to join the Matrix.

Of course, I had no patience for this, especially after having dragged Megatron's inert form all the way back to base. "Make yourself useful," I told him. "Help Starscream get him inside."

I went before them to assure myself that everything was in order.

One of the good things about this pile of junk we call home is that it does have some interesting technology. One such item is in the repair bay. Lacking a medic in our group, we discovered a handy machine that will enact any major repairs on us. I have no idea if the Minicons created it, or if it was a staple of all ships made back then, but I've never been one to pass up an opportunity to exploit someone else's hard work.

It seemed as if Demolisher had followed my orders. Everything was set and waiting for us.

I heard a footstep behind me and turned to find Sideways walking into the room.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder as Megatron was being carried in. "Whoa. How'd that happen?"

I brushed past him to organize the others. "Don't you have work to do?"

He shrugged. "I'm taking a break."

"Well, take it somewhere else, if you don't mind." He didn't leave as I had hoped, but he did stop talking, and that was enough for the moment. We eased Megatron in his borrowed body onto the recharge berth and began hooking him up to the repair droid. The most extensive damage would be repaired by automated scanners and probes while the finishing touches would have to be done by hand once we got Megatron back online. Only he could tell us what fragile circuitry and wiring needed to be repaired.

All in all, this was turning out to be the most taxing day of my career.

"This is a disaster!" Demolisher moaned as he looked over our bent and battered leader. "First the body switching, and now the injuries! What's next?"

"As if you should talk. He's in _my_ body! I'll be lucky if I'll ever be able to get my wings realigned the way I like them," Starscream muttered.

Demolisher chewed his bottom lip. "Will he…make it?"

Starscream waved aside his worries with a disdainful scoff. "Don't be an idiot, Demolisher. Of course he'll make it."

"I agree," I said, and finished adjusting the dials. "Most of these wounds are superficial and look worse than what they really are. He didn't tear any major fuel lines, and anything fractured can be welded back together." I took one last look at the torn-up jet before firmly shooing everyone out and closing the door behind us. "In any case, there is nothing we can do other than to wait," I said. Giving Starscream the once over with my optics, I gauged the damage done to his frame. "What about you?"

He gave me a suspicious look. "Me?"

"Yes. Since we're fixing him up," I gestured to the room behind me, "perhaps you should make what repairs are needed to yourself."

"It's nothing serious. Just a few scratches." In a low voice, he added, "You know, I'm surprised. I didn't take as much damage as I normally would." He sounded so shocked by this that I couldn't help but offer an opinion.

"Perhaps it is because your previous body was not designed to withstand heavy fire, whilst Megatron's body can. Use this knowledge to your advantage when next you train."

He made a soft growl in the back of his throat. I've come to recognize this sound as his "thoughtful" noise, the one he gives when he is absorbing information, or about to get lost in thought.

You may have noticed my habit of analyzing the behavior patterns of my fellow Decepticons. Why do I do this, you might ask. The answer is simple, really. There is more to combat than memorizing battle formations, and what artillery works best against what enemy. To formulate a strategy, one must understand one's enemies, or in this case, allies. A lot can be read in simple body language. If you know that a certain Autobot has the tendency to twitch his hand before he grabs for his gun, it is easier to avoid getting shot by a quick-draw that you didn't see coming. Likewise, by understanding that Starscream has a variety of growls he uses to express his emotions, I may not accidentally shoot him in self-defense.

Demolisher, ever the loyalist, planted himself firmly in front of me and glared. "Okay, I want some answers. What happened out there? How'd Megatron get so beaten up?"

With our leader safely tucked away in the repair bay, it fell to me and Starscream to explain to the others what had happened.

"It was his own doing," Starscream huffed. "I told him to pull up, but he thinks he knows everything."

"You weren't exactly brilliant out there, yourself, fly-boy," I remarked. "You both need extensive training, starting from the bottom up."

"Still, it's going to be a while before Megatron's up and functional again," Sideways mused. "What's going to become of us in the meantime?"

I glanced at him, but he appeared to be speaking to himself, deep in thought.

Demolisher blundered right on in. "You've got a point."

Sideways shook himself. "Oh, I was just talkin' out loud there. I'm sure you've got it covered."

"Me?"

"Well, you _are_ Megatron's second in command, right?"

Starscream gave an incredulous laugh. "I hardly think so. Everyone knows that _I_ am next in line!" He straightened up and smirked down at us. "Since Megatron is inactive for the time being, I shall assume control of the Decepticons."

"What!" Demolisher balled up his fists and stomped towards Starscream. "I've always been second in command!"

"Big talk for someone with a two-bit processor."

"You're really starting to fry my circuits, Starscream!"

I gave a mental sigh and leaned my back against the wall. I should have known something like this was going to happen sooner or later. Neither of them are fit to be leader, in my opinion, so I was planning to wait until the argument died down and then offer my "services" to whomever the winner was. I had a feeling that it would be Starscream, since Demolisher's argument tactics involve a lot of whining and falling back on past accomplishments, however meager or trivial.

"Look at 'em," Sideways muttered as he sidled up to me. "Fightin' for command like a couple of mangy vultures. Megatron's been out of action for less than an hour, and already things are going haywire. I'm glad that you're above all that, Thrust."

I glanced at him, once, then turned back to the argument, waiting to step in if it escalated too far. "I don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do. After all, who else is capable enough to take over? Starscream's too hot-headed, and Demolisher? Don't make me laugh!" And here he did laugh, a low and unpleasant sound. "I'm just sayin' that I'm glad we have you to count on. I feel a lot safer knowing that you're going to be the one calling the shots."

"Thank you. Your skill at flattery is almost on par with mine. But whatever it is you're thinking to gain by oiling up to me…"

Sideways looked as abashed as he could. "That's harsh. Who said I wanted anything?"

"In my experience, no one does anything without an ulterior motive. I just want to know what yours is." I pinned him under my gaze, and was gratified to see him flinch. If he was just acting, he was rather good at it.

"I meant no disrespect, Thrust. Just thought I'd let you know that I'm on your side…should anything happen."

I felt my fuel-pump quicken inside of me. I knew that he was dangling the proverbial Energon cube before me, and I knew that it would be foolish to take the bait. But he had intrigued me. Besides, I thought I might gain some knowledge of his plans if I played along.

"Is that a threat, Sideways?"

There must have been something in how I said it that tipped him off. "Hey, I didn't say anything _would_ happen, just that it _might._ You never know when one of them might decide that you're the bigger threat and try to take you down." He grew quiet. Probably debating on his next course of action. I decided to give him a little of what he was looking for.

"And you have reason to believe that this will happen?"

He plunged ahead, heedless of caution, as I had expected he would. "C'mon. I know that you've seen the way those two look at you. They can't stand the sight of you, because they know you're better than them. They know who really holds Megatron's attention. Compared to you, they're just a waste of metal. To take you out, to defeat the undefeatable warrior… I'm sure you can see how tempting an idea that might be for them."

Now I knew what he was after. Sideways was trying to get me paranoid about my safety. By insinuating that Starscream or Demolisher would be waiting for the chance to backstab me, I know he was hoping that I would fly into a rage and take care of them personally. Two less obstacles in the way of whatever scheme was percolating under those ridiculous horns of his.

"Thank you for the warning," I said, and I knew he was beaming behind his mask. "But I can take care of myself." Stepping back into the argument, I held up my hands. "Peace, gentlemen. This is hardly the time or the place to debate this."

Starscream glowered at Demolisher. "He doesn't have what it takes to be a leader!"

"And Starscream's never had any respect for my authority."

"What authority?"

"Enough!" I shouted, before the whole fight began anew. "Starscream, until you master your new body, your leadership cannot be relied upon." I held up my hand for silence before he could protest. "I am fully aware of how capable you are under normal circumstances. However, for the time being, we must concentrate on the well-being of the Decepticons as a whole. Would you not agree?"

"I suppose," was his sulky reply. "But you can't seriously put _Demolisher_ in charge?"

"Why not? Would you rather have Cyclonus bossing you around?" I chuckled. "Now wouldn't that be an interesting sight?"

Starscream drew his lips back from his teeth, exposing pointed canines. "Nobody bosses me around, not even Megatron!"

"Yes, and your insubordination has thusly earned you three beatings in the past month. You would think a Decepticon of your supposed intelligence would know the difference between when to fight and when to simply shut your mouth." While my words sunk in, I turned to Demolisher. "And as for you…"

He turned his pair of mismatched green optics in my direction. "What now?"

"Currently, our leader is out of action, and I need someone I can trust here at the HQ…someone that _Megatron_ trusted." I stared into his wide, oh-so-naïve face and lowered my voice. "Can I depend on you, Demolisher, to take care of things here until Megatron is revived?"

The lure of power that I was dangling in front of him was too tempting to pass up. "Oh…sure. No problem, Thrust. Just leave everything to me."

Inwardly, I smiled. "Excellent."

"This is insane!" Starscream ranted. "The mantle of leadership belongs to me by right. I'll challenge anyone who dares oppose it!"

"Oh, quit your posturing!" I snapped. "I've had quite enough of you for one day."

Stunned into silence, Starscream stormed out of the room. He went off, no doubt, to find a place to sulk.

"I'm going to stay here for a little bit," Demolisher informed me. He gave a worried look towards the repair bay. "I don't want anything to go wrong here, too."

Why he told me this, I have no idea. Perhaps he thought I might actually care, or that I might need to know where he was in case of an emergency. Whatever his reasoning, I did not like that he chose to rub my face in the fact that this day had turned out worse than anticipated, but there was nothing I could say that wouldn't make me seem petty.

I shrugged at him. "Do as you please," I said, and exited with the intent of retiring to my private quarters.

I found that I had an unwanted shadow tagging along behind me.

Sideways chuckled, falling into stride beside me. "You're really good at your job, ain'tcha?

I made a noise of exasperation. "Is there a reason why you're hounding me, today?"

"Not really. Just thought I'd let you know… Promising Demolisher an empty leadership? That was a nice move."

"I would have said anything to keep him out from underfoot and cease the bickering between him and Starscream."

"And you'll still be calling all the shots." Sideways gave a soft chortle. "Not bad for someone who pretends that he doesn't want to be leader."

I paused and looked down at the motorcycle-bot. "I never said that I didn't. But commanding you sorry lot would be akin to stripping my own wires, a painful experience that I'd rather not have if I can avoid it."

"Then why not let Starscream lead? He wants power so bad he can taste it."

I thought about this as we came to a halt outside my quarters. "I know he does. That lust for power is what will be his undoing. He has no patience for plots, and subtlety is just as foreign to him. That is why Megatron has fended him off for so long." I gestured at my door. "And now that I am at my destination, I must bid you adieu."

Sideways' dark optics twinkled maliciously. "Not going to invite me in?"

"And why should I do anything of the sort?"

He rolled his shoulders in a slow shrug. "Maybe for a drink?"

"I rather think not. I plan to get very hammered in a few moments to drown today's events from my memory banks, and I would much prefer to do that in private."

Yes, as sad as it is to admit, dealing with the daily trials of this band of miscreants has often forced me to find solace in solitude and strong Energon. I am not proud of this little detail of my existence, but it helps me make it from one day to another without going insane.

Sideways rotated his neck, popping the kinks out of his cables. "So that's a no go? Oh well."

I made as if to enter my quarters. "If there is nothing further-"

"Yeah, that's it for now. If I need anything else, I know where I can find you. All I need to do is look for the power behind the throne." He walked past me, talking over his shoulder as he went. "I hope your next training mission works out better for ya, Thrust."

You have no idea how badly I wanted to scrap him. But I needed his talents to fix the warp gate, and as insufferable as he is, Sideways has his uses. So I let him go, watching his shadow lengthen along the wall then dwindle to nothingness, all the while wishing that I were anywhere else but here.


End file.
